Risk for cardiovascular disease development in rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have significant cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis on cardiovascular morbidity association with cardiovascular risk factors risk factors. Mortality report is secondary just to show trends without sufficient statistical power as it is accidental endpoint. METHODS: A total of 201 individuals without previous cardiovascular disease, 124 with rheumatoid arthritis (investigation group) and 77 with osteoarthritis (control group), were included in the study and followed up for an average of 8 years to assess the development of fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular diseases. The incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors were also investigated. RESULTS: The total incidence of one or more fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events was 43.9% in the investigation group and 37.5% in the control group. Of these patients, 31.7% and 30.9% survived cardiovascular events in the investigation and control groups, respectively. The most common cardiovascular disease among participants who completed the study and those who died during the study was chronic heart failure. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that strict inflammation control plays a central role in lowering cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSION: A multidisciplinary approach to these patients is of paramount importance, especially with the cooperation of immunologists and cardiologists for early detection, prevention, and management of cardiovascular risks and diseases.

Role of Inflammatory Cytokines in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Development of Atherosclerosis: A Review.

Uncontrolled chronic inflammation results in cardiovascular disease and early death. In this review, we studied the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on the cardiovascular system, including the early and accelerated development of atherosclerosis and its clinical manifestations, focusing on the inflammatory mechanisms leading to arterial wall damage, rapid atherosclerotic plaque formation, and thrombosis. Furthermore, the effect of medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis on the cardiovascular system was studied. The effect of chronic inflammation and medication on traditional cardiovascular risk factors is not the main subject of this review. We observed that uncontrolled chronic inflammation and some medications directly impact all the stages of atherosclerosis. In conclusion, reducing inflammation and maintaining long-term remission in rheumatoid arthritis may prevent early atherosclerosis. We believe that this review will encourage a better interdisciplinary approach to the management of these patients and further research in this field.

The Influence of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis on the Occurrence of Arterial Hypertension: An 8-Year Prospective Clinical Observational Cohort Study.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, including a 50-60% increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Arterial hypertension (HT) is considered the major contributing risk factor for CVD development in RA patients. In this investigation, we compared the incidence and prevalence of HT between RA and osteoarthritis (OA) and the influence of HT on CVD development in CVD-naive patients in both groups. This was a prospective clinical cohort investigation with an 8-year follow-up period. A total of 201 participants, 124 with RA (investigation group) and 77 with OA (control group), without diagnosed CVD or symptomatic heart failure were included. After selection according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, both groups underwent initial and final visits, and the investigation group underwent annual visits to assess disease activity. Case report forms were completed for each visit. The obtained data were analyzed by a statistician. No difference in the incidence or prevalence of HT was found between the investigation and control groups. No difference in the prevalence of HT was reported between the study groups and age-standardized data from the general population. The investigation group had a higher incidence of CVD than the control group. RA participants with long-term remission had a marginally lower HT prevalence. Although previous studies reported a higher HT prevalence in RA than in OA and the general population, our findings did not support this. The RA group had a higher incidence of CVD, but it is possible that optimal disease control with long-term remission could reduce HT incidence and prevalence while also having beneficial effects on other cardiovascular risk factors (CV) and, consequently, CVD occurrence.